A History of Cycle Paths

The information here is that which I have so far managed
to glean from various sources, but cannot be guaranteed as correct. If you have
other information relating to the history of cycle paths, please
contact John
Franklin.

Chronology

1895: Ocean Parkway bike path opened in Brooklyn, New York. Said to
be the oldest path still in existence today. Other early bike paths believed to
have been constructed in USA, especially on the east coast, but construction
ceased at turn of century as cycling waned as a common mode of transport. It
seems quite possible that the US invented the bike path.

1897: First German cycle tracks, in Bremen: 2.5m wide in centre of
road. Main motive was comfort of cycling in days when most roads were cobbled
or rutted.

1900: Cycle tracks introduced in Lübek. Paid for from receipts
from number plates that had to be purchased by all cyclists. Tax removed in
1919, but obligation to carry number plate remained.

1901: Demands for cycle tracks in Germany to foster cycle tourism.

1910: German cycle tracks moved from centre to sides of roads.

1920: Quote from first Dutch Roads Congress: "After all,
the construction of bicycle paths along the larger roads relieves traffic along
these roads of an extremely bothersome element: the cyclist."

1920s: Mass construction of cycle tracks in Germany. Motive: to
remove disturbances in the fast flow of motor vehicles caused by cyclists.
Propaganda cited paths as pro-cyclist, and first use made of 'safety' argument
to get cyclists to use them. Many arguments between police and cyclists, the
latter prefering to use the newly tarmaced roads.

1926: Cycle tracks made compulsory for cyclists in Germany.

1930: First tarmac cycle tracks in Bremen. Some private paths
created, to use which cyclists had to pay an annual fee.

1930-1 Programme of cycle track construction by ANWB in Netherlands
(by this time as much a motoring organisation as a cycling one).

1930s: Main construction of cycle tracks in Denmark, France and
Switzerland. Earlier Danish and Belgian tracks were said to be much better
quality than those in Germany.

1930s: Cycle track construction in various places in UK. (Track on
London's Western Avenue, built 1934, believed to be oldest existing UK cycle
track)

1934: New German legal instruments to address "the problem
of disciplining cyclists" who did not use cycle tracks. Bicycle
associations outlawed by Nazi regime. (Source notes that by this time the legal
obligation to use cycle paths already existed in most countries.)

1936: All new roads in Hannover built with cycle tracks. 120km by
1936.

WWII: Use of cycle tracks made compulsory in Netherlands, under Nazi
occupation.

1967: Bike lanes installed in Davis, California. First known
reference to a lane as distinct from a track.

Summary

It seems that the first cycle paths were to meet the needs
of cyclists in terms of comfort and ease of riding. Soon after road standards
improved, however, the motive for building tracks changed to one of getting
cyclists out of the way of motor traffic. Only in the Netherlands does there
seem to have remained a pro-cycling reason for building paths.

There is little evidence of cyclists demanding cycle paths for reasons of
safety until the 1970s; indeed much of the opposition to using paths in earlier
years was on account of the added danger present.